Rhymney Trail through Cardiff

Cardiff has three rivers running through it: the Taff; Ely, and Rhymney. All three have trails alongside them although the trail down the Rhymney River, which I followed today, is least developed. Signs are sporadic and not all the route is defined. It is described on the Cardiff Outdoors website.

I had recently walked from the town of Rhymney at the head of the valley (different from the Cardiff suburb of Rumney) along the Rhymney Riverside Walk to Caerphilly over one day and then to Llanederyn's old church and inn on another day, finishing at the Cardiff Gate Retail Park at Pontprennau. Consequently, I decided to start today from the Retail Park. First, I threaded my way through modern housing, trying to find the alleyways between houses that were part of an (unmarked) public footpath, soon reaching a green corridor heading south with a tarmaced path. Grass, trees and a children's playground made this a pleasant gap between housing. Shortly I reached my first blue sign (somewhat disfigured by graffiti) directing me to the Rhymney trail. On top of the signpost was the symbol of the Rhymney Trail, two swans facing each other (not that I saw any swans, just a few ducks).

The tarmaced path led me to Church road, where a right then left took me into an underpass beneath the busy A48 dual carriageway. Murals of everything from lorries to dog walkers to policeman covered the walls, beautifully drawn, but marred by graffiti, some encouraging class warfare. After the underpass, I turned right, heading south. Turning left along a muddy path would have taken me up to the Rhymney Riverside walk that I had completed on an earlier occasion.

A48 Underpass

The underpass marked a change from neatly mowed grass between housing to more unkempt ground, where the path took me through meadows and woodland, spoilt somewhat by litter and the noise from the adjacent A48. After reaching the "Park and Ride" carpark (which cannot be accessed from the path, all gates being padlocked) I turned left and crossed the river. (Rather than crossing the river you can continue to the suburb of Pentwyn as an alternative). The trail then follows the embankment on the east of the river as it meanders across the wide flood plain, which has either been left wild or used for football and rugby pitches. Surprisingly, the river appears little wider than it was many miles upstream. I did unfortunately see areas of Japanese knotweed, an alien species taking over areas of the bank all down the river. A more pleasant riverbank sight were the bulrushes, back lit by the sun, where the path turned and headed up to the suburb of Rumney itself, via a tennis court and bowling club.

Rhymney Trail by Pontprenau

Rhymney trail by Rumney

I crossed through the Rumney housing via the old St Augustine's parish church, a 12th century building that looked out of place among the much more recent (1930's?) housing. Leaving the housing I crossed over the main Cardiff to London railway line and into Parc Tredelerch, an area of wild plants and bulrushes surrounding a lake used by fishermen, dog walkers and the like. It is here that the Rhymney trail meets the Wales Coast Path. I crossed the path to look at the river, now suddenly a tidal river flowing beneath the busy bridges and flyovers carrying the capital's commerce.

Officially the Rhymney trail now followed the Wales Coast path east onto the flatlands bordering the River Severn between Cardiff and Newport. However, to reach the Rhymney estuary I took the Coast Path west. After briefly running alongside heavy traffic, the coast path heads south, following the road on a grassy path (Update: this was before the Coast Path was diverted into Tremorfa). Last time I took this route it was impassable, overgrown with brambles; fortunately the undergrowth has been cut back allowing a pleasant walk with views of the river, now with boats moored in its centre or stored on its banks. Grey mud lines the tidal banks of the river here. When I was little I had bad dreams about stepping onto the mud and being sucked into it, to be drowned by the rising tide.

Near the mouth of the river

Bricks rounded by the sea

I turned off the coast path by some ponies, probably owned by the travellers who had a camp not far away, untethered despite the area being open to the nearby road. Walking down to the where the river joined the sea I admired the beach full of bricks, the remains of Cardiff's past industrial history, long since in decline. At the very end of the river, on the final point on the cliffs of mud, only seagulls and a few cormorants admired the view across to the Bristol channel, and the old Lamby Way landfill site on the left being turned into a green space.

The above walk is 10 km long, 6.25 miles, but I had to walk a few extra kilometres back into Cardiff to catch a train home. A gpx file of the trail can be found on wikiloc. For smart phones and tablets the route is also on Viewranger short code johnpon0011.

Taff Trail through Cardiff

The Taff Trail goes all the way from Cardiff to Brecon, and while seen as a cycling route, it is equally (or more) attractive for walking, especially through the city of Cardiff.

I started my walk at Cardiff Bay Railway station and walked past the Wales Millennium Centre with its enigmatic inscription about "horizons singing" in Welsh and English, to the Senedd, where the Welsh Assembly (and occasional demonstrators) meet. It is made of glass to illustrate transparent government, but I am yet to see anything of interest through the glass. However the sculptures dotted around have a certain wistful charm reminding of previous times when this a working dock, and indeed rather a rough area before all being redeveloped.

The Taff Trail starts by the Senedd and continues around the cafes and restaurants of the new Cardiff Bay development. In my youth my Uncle worked as a boiler maker, repairing ships that visited Cardiff Docks. When he showed me around, as a fascinated youngster, I looked out over the grey, muddy banks of the estuary, sloping gently into the River Taff, from one of the docks occupied by a bulk carrier. The cranes of the docks where he worked are now gone, or preserved as monuments to the past outside expensive apartment blocks; the docks themselves are a pleasant backdrop to the new developments, restaurants and flats. A barrage across the mouth of Cardiff Bay means the estuary is no longer tidal so the muddy banks are no more, moorings for yachts and motor boats have taken their place.

Instead of following the Taff trail along a busy road as marked on my Ordnance survey map, I took a longer route along the Cardiff Bay Trail, following signs for National Cycle route 8, seeing both modern flats, fancy shops, a posh hotel and a wetland for birds before reaching older housing. It was then a walk alongside the River Taff past the old housing estates, into the centre of Cardiff. There were a few important sights, the Brains brewery which has long provided Cardiff's beet (with slogans painted on various railway bridges), and the more recent Millennium Stadium. Cardiff Central train station is in easy reach at this point.

When there is no event on you can walk along the river on the same side as the stadium, as I did today, admiring the mosaics of the flags of rugby playing nations, a mixture of big places such as Australia and small ones like Samoa.

After the Millenium Stadium I turned right onto Castle Street to admire Cardiff Castle. While there was a fort and castle from Roman and Normal times, much of what you see today is a Victorian romantic imagining of what a medieval castle should look like. The 3rd Marquess of Bute was responsible for creating the castle as it is today using money earned as a result of building Cardiff Docks. The 4th Marquess of Bute gave the castle to the people of Cardiff.

Behind the castle is Bute park, with three teashops, flower beds, a bit of the old Glamorganshire canal and a variety of trees. You can either follow the River Taff by walking through Bute park, or cross the Millennium pedestrian bridge and follow the river on its opposite bank through Pontcanna fields, which is what I did today. Before reaching Pontcanna fields I passed the Sophia Gardens Cricket ground where I glimpsed  Glamorgan playing Leicestershire through the gaps in the stands to a very sparse audience (Leicestershire won, Wales is a rugby rather than a cricketing nation). In my youth I sang (with a few hundred other children) in the Cardiff schools choir in the Sophia Gardens pavilion, fortunately some years before it collapsed, and was pulled down.

I left Pontcanna fields by crossing the pedestrian suspension bridge at Blackweir, and followed the Taff trail through the trees, in paces with a carpet of wild garlic under them. The trail continues along the river passed housing to the next weir, where sea gulls and a maybe a cormorant were sunning themselves opposite the rowing club. Hayley park was the next park the trail runs through before a road in modern housing along the path of the old Glamorganshire Canal. You still pass some evidence of the canal in the shape of a restored beam pump, used to supply the canal with water.

There is an alternative route beyond this point, following some of the remaining canal through the Glamorganshire Canal Nature reserve, however today I stuck to the river, apart from a diversion caused by some work in the area. From parts of this section you can see the railway line on the other side of the river, cut into the steep side of the valley, one of the railways that ultimately put the Glamorganshire canal out of business, being closed in the 1940's and much of it now built over.

The Taff Trail now crosses under the M4 motorway and a high and low route is possible up the Taff valley. I took the high route that climbs through the village of Tongwynlais to Castle Coch, on route I helped someone painting their walls by passing a pot of paint up, which left me with an bright orange finger for the rest of my walk. Red may have been more appropriate as Castel Coch means red castle in Welsh. Like Cardiff Castle it was originally a Norman castle rebuilt by the very same 3rd Marquess of Bute as a Victorian view of a medieval castle, and has been widely used as a film set.

After Castle Coch, the trail climbs up the side of the mountain with glimpses through the trees of the view down the route I had followed from the sea. One wishes that a few of the trees could be chopped down so that the view could be appreciated better. Dropping down again into Taff's Wells, it was then a short work to train station.

A gpx file of the route is located on Wikiloc, and the route can also be found on ViewRanger (shortcode johnpon0008) where it can be downloaded onto a smart phone.

Ely Trail, Cardiff

The Ely trail is rougher around the edges compared with the other great paths across Cardiff: the Taff Trail and the Nant Fawr Trail, however it perhaps gives a more realistic feel of the Cardiff area mixing history at St Fagans castle, with river side views alongside railways and under busy roads, with 1930's housing and industrial units, ending in urban regeneration as a marina and posh flats where once the Ely docks loaded ships.

While the trail starts at St Fagans, this blog covers a route from train station to train station, which gives the opportunity of visiting some additional woodland, so the path starts at Fairwater railway station. From there I walked to the Dingle Dell as we used to call it when I was young many years ago, which sounds more exciting than the official name of Fairwater park. In the Dingle Dell we fished for newts in a pond somewhere at the top and shrimp like things in the little brook.

Dingle Dell

From there it is across Fairwater green (resisting the temptation of the very pleasant Coffee Shop opposite) and down Cartright road and under the railway line into Ely. As a child we were all frightened of the Ely kids, who were reputed to do evil things with razor blades, no doubt much exaggerated as all seems safe and law abiding these days. A few right turns then takes me into Plymouth Great Wood, covered with white wood anemones at this time of year (April), with the promise of bluebells later.

The path through the woods ends at St Fagans, home of the magnificent Welsh National History museum and St Fagans Castle. The Museum used to be known as the Welsh Folk museum in less politically correct times, as it has 40 or so original buildings of the type lived in and used by ordinary people such as farms, a "prefab", a pub, shops, cottages, a woolen mill etc., a refreshing change from "history" as old churches and castles (although it also has a castle). Each nuilding was moved to St Fagans brick by brick and more are added as time goes by. There are a number of places for refreshment before tackling the Ely Trail itself.

St Fagans village

The Ely Trail starts at St Fagans village and begins by following a meadow by the river. I was intrigued by the river gauging station soon after the start of the trail, which uses a wear and a water level reading to work out the volume of water flowing down the river (the maths is more complicated than you may think). In addition to following the river, the path is parallel to the Swansea to Cardiff main line, indeed a new railway station (or rather re-opening an old one) has been proposed at St Fagans. Compared to my youth there seemed to be more passenger trains and less good trains using the line. The old goods trains used to have a guards van at the end and we would wave to the guard and occasionally gained a wave back. Waymark signs for the trail includes a picture of a Heron, and I was fortunate to see two today, as well as someone fishing. As a child we used to walk this way. In those days (before paedophiles existed) children could walk around unaccompanied but not before my mother gave me firm instructions not to paddle in the river where she claimed little boys had been drowned (and not to talk to strangers even if they offered sweets).

The trail then goes down Bwlch road before I turned right under a railway bridge, where I once stood to see the Queen go by, sadly, but in retrospect not surprisingly, the train quickly shot by the waiting people with no sight of any royals.

After a short path I joined Wroughton Place, several bunches of flowers were tied to railing beside the river, now dead and wilted, marking the spot where an 18 year old was found dead a few months earlier.

Although the Ely trail will eventually follow the river in the next section, the area is still under development so I diverted onto Cowbridge Road East for a short while before recrossing the railway line on an iron bridge, resisting the temptation to go to Up and Under, my favourite Outdoor shop just down the road. I then followed the trail past industrial units before eventually turning right into City park, with some bored looking teenagers siting on swings. After a right and left I rejoined the river and followed a tarmaced path a few miles beside, or underneath a dual carriageway, actually more pleasant than it sounds. At one point the path goes under a flyover. I am always amazed that the enormous weight of concrete and cars just rests on a small area of metal at the top of the supporting columns (no doubt to allow some movement due to thermal expansion).

With the day warming up it was time for a cup of tea and a scone, and fortunately the trail passes the Pumping Station, an old Victorian building that now houses a range of antiques for sale (although the extensive collection of old games and lego sets appeal to me more than the old furniture) and also a cafe and toilets.

Suitably refreshed I walk on into Grangemoor park, a former rubbish tip, but now grassland with birch trees and bushes. The final section reaches the periphery of the redeveloped Cardiff Bay. Where there were once docks (in this case Ely dock), cranes, warehouses and railtracks, there are now marinas with white, masted yachts and posh flats where visitors must contact the concierge to gain entry.

One final crossing of the River Ely (on a swing bridge to allow yachts to pass) takes me to Cogan station. Having seen two trains heading towards Cardiff as I walked the last kilometre down the river I was worried about a long wait, fortunately trains on the Barry line are frequent and I was soon on my way home.

In total I walked 14.2 kilometres (excluding any wondering around St Fagans) along a route which was mostly flat. The gpx file of the route is on Wikiloc, and a version that can be downloaded to a smart phone is on ViewRanger.

Nant Fawr Trail, Cardiff

The Nant Fawr trail is a route that follows the Nant Fawr (which means big brook or stream in Welsh) up through Cardiff. It links up a series of parks, wild areas and fields to form a green corridor through the capital city of Wales. As I was born in Cardiff it also holds a number of memories. Waymarks, showing a stream parallel to a path, appear only intermittently, so the correct path is not always evident. My route follows that on the leaflet (found here) issued about the path by the authorities.

Waymarking

The route starts at Waterloo Gardens (reached by a number 56 bus or you can walk from Queen's street railway station) and follows the Nant Fawr (a.k.a. Roath Brook) into Roath Mill gardens, and then to the Recreation ground. This is the route my mother walked with me in my pram to visit my Auntie and cousins, some 55 years ago. Tarmac paths follow the Nant Fawr in formal gardens with grass and trees, at this time of year the daffodils form yellow pools and blossoms on the magnolia trees give a contrast to the dull, leafless trees around them, although the weeping willow over the stream, my favourite tree as a child, is starting to show signs of green, The roads each side of the narrow parks have solid, red brick, terraced houses with bay, sash windows and small front gardens. The stream is shallow, but I recall my mother telling me not to paddle in it, although I could not see how I could drown in such a small depth of water.

The Recreation ground is much wider, wide enough for football pitches, and the houses each side are grander, some of the dark sandstone that was used in much of Cardiff at one time. Various frames for exercising are dotted along the path, I failed in an attempt to swing from hand to hand while hanging below one.

The Roath Pleasure gardens follow, not quite the Kubla Khan's pleasure dome, but an area with a bowling green and tennis courts, sadly empty of players when I passed.

After walking under the A48, a noisy, dual carriageway that speeds traffic into Cardiff, I entered the grandly titled Roath Botanic gardens, with its glasshouse and rose gardens, and a variety of trees and flowers, a place to wander in more summery months when the plants are all out, although even in April it is well visited by dog walkers and their dogs. The children concentrate in the playground below the embankment that holds back Roath park lake. There is still a long "slide" which we were amazed at as children when it was first installed many years ago, it was much longer than any we had been on previously, even in Butlins.

At the top of the embankment, or rather dam, Mr Softee still parks his Ice Cream van selling "99's", we used to argue which was best Mr Softee or Mr Whippy. There is competition from a shop selling Ice cream at the other end of the embankment but nowadays we normally visit the Terra Nova Cafe for a latte and apple or rhubarb slice. One cannot take visitors to Roath park without them pointing out what my nephews (and Wikipedia) called the lighthouse, actually a clock tower memorial to Scott of Antarctica and his colleagues; gallant gentlemen who died in their failed attempt to be first to reach the South Pole. Their ship, the Terra Nova, sailed from Cardiff. As my mother is found of reminding me, Roath park was given to the people of Cardiff by the (3rd) Marques of Bute whose father became very rich as a result of developing Cardiff Docks to transport coal from the Welsh valleys. People of Cardiff have certainly enjoyed Roath Park: my parents courted on the lake, my father rowing beneath the trees on the island (rowing boats can still be hired but the islands are now roped off); in the winter of 1962-63 my cousins and I walked across the lake when it was solidly frozen over; we also used to feed the many swans, ducks, geese and seagulls bits of stale bread which they congregated to receive, a sign now warns you that bread is junk food for the wild life and you can buy more suitable food at the greenhouse. When I visit today the paths around the lake are full of people walking their children, who the swans hiss at when they get too close; dogs are led around, pugs seem to be the current favourite breed; runners jog with iphones or fitness devices attached to their arms, and couples still roam around arm in arm, some young, some not so young.

Beyond the lake is the Wild Garden (where my mother had her first kiss), with trees and wild garlic rather than mown grass, and paths no longer tarmaced. Then I cross over past Cardiff High School and continue walking beside the stream in a wild meadow then a wood. Wet, winter weather has made the path muddy, but green shoots bring the hope of spring. Crossing Rhydypenau road I come to an area of grass, meadows and woods cared for by the council and the Friends of Nant Fawr (there is a similar friends group for Roath Park). The path goes around the Llanishan and Lisvane Reservoirs although you can only see the latter due to the trees. Llanishan reservoir was the centre of a major community campaign to stop it being turned into a housing development, which appears successful. It is now operated by Welsh water and it is to be hoped that access will improve.

The trail now crosses fields, muddy in places, possibly where houses will be built under the new Local Development Plan. A sharp turn left through more fields brings you to Lisvane road, a left, right, 3rd right then takes you through a modern, housing development and just when you think you are walking up someone's drive a path alongside trees becomes visible. This takes you behind houses to Mill Road, where you go left then right through a posh neighbourhood, being careful when you cross the road at a bend. A short walk downhill takes you to the start of the path through Coed y Felin.

The friends of Coed y Felin maintain a lovely path along the stream through a length of woodland (coed in Welsh). It starts where a Mill (felin in Welsh) and mill pond once stood, and then extends up a narrow valley through trees, with side paths across stepping stones and into more woods. A wooden sculpture adds to nature's interest. Sadly leaving this woodland I go past a modern but tasteful housing development and the Lisvane and Thornhill train station.

The final park of the route Cefn Onn is over the railway bridge. There are a wide range of trees and although the rhododendrons have been reduced by a disease called phytophthora, there is much to enjoy including an ornamental pond and little paths through the vegetation and little brooks. A small red, iron bridge always reminded me of Japan or maybe China. It is another favourite area with dog walkers and families. Dogs, which seem larger than those at Roath park, should be on a lead but many are not.

The leaflet on the Nant Fawr trail indicates the trail finishes (or starts) slightly north of Cefn Onn path but I would just enjoy the park itself as the destination, unless you wish to carry on up to the ridge behind Cardiff on the Rhymney Ridgeway path (or head east to the Ty Mawr Pub). For me that will be a walk on another day and I returned home via the Lisvane & Thornhill station.

The path is exactly 10 kilometres long (6 1/4 miles) and you climb 146 metres if you go in the same direction as me. A gpx file of the route that you can use with a gps device is available on wikiloc, or you can download an app and follow my route on your mobile phone using ViewRanger.

Update: At the very start of walk (or the end if start from Cefn Onn) is the Waterloo Gardens Teahouse. I recently visited it for the first time and was impressed by the range of teas offered and the egg timer that comes with the tea, so you remove the tea leaves, in their own strainer, at exactly the right time. The cakes are wonderful, the orange and almond cake melted in my mouth. They also have nice coffee (including decaffeinated)!